1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inverted wheel type moving body and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of Related Art
An inverted wheel type moving body (an inverted pendulum type robot) such as an inverted two-wheel vehicle is typically controlled to travel in such a manner that the position of the center-of-mass is constantly corrected to maintain the stable state by driving left and right driving wheels. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 4-201793 discloses an inverted wheel type moving body (unstable traveling apparatus) having getting-on decks on which the passenger gets on. This inverted wheel type moving body makes acceleration and deceleration, for example, depending on the inclination angle of the getting-on decks. Therefore, the passenger shifts the center-of-mass toward the direction to which the passenger wants to travel, so that the getting-on decks is inclined. In this manner, it can travel in accordance with the manipulation of the passenger.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-1384 discloses a traveling control apparatus for an inverted wheel type moving body (unstable vehicle) having a seat arranged above the wheels. This control apparatus is operated by a joystick. That is, a command value is inputted by inclining the joystick. The wheels are rotated based on this command value. In this manner, it can travel in accordance with the manipulation of the passenger.
Incidentally, the position of the center-of-mass of the upper body is uniquely determined based on the magnitude of the acceleration in such an inverted wheel type moving body as the moving body is controlled such that it is maintained at the inverted state during acceleration or deceleration. Consequently, the upper body is inclined in the traveling direction during acceleration and inclined in the opposite direction to the traveling direction during deceleration. Accordingly, the upper body must be inclined, after the manipulation of the operator is detected, in order to accelerate. Specifically, when an operator initiates operation for acceleration by using an operation system such as a joystick, the wheels move the opposite direction to the traveling direction. That is, the wheels, firstly, rotate in the opposite direction to the traveling direction to create the state where the upper body is inclined in the traveling direction. Then, the wheels are reversed, and rotate in the traveling direction. Consequently, the moving body starts acceleration. In this manner, the moving body 100 travels in the traveling direction in accordance with the manipulation.
Consequently, a delay occurs between when the manipulation is carried out and when the moving body actually starts to travel in an inverted wheel type moving body in the related art. In other words, the wheels need to be rotated in the opposite direction to the traveling direction, and then to reversed to the traveling direction. Therefore, a delay occurs before the moving body starts to move in response to the operator's input. Accordingly, there has been a problem that it is very difficult to improve the operability of an inverted wheel type moving body in the related art.
As described above, there has been a problem that it is very difficult to improve the operability of an inverted wheel type moving body in the related art. In one aspect, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an inverted wheel type moving body capable of improving the operability, and a method of controlling the same.